For many people, reading is very difficult. But adding in technology that is designed to distract you is a recipe for disaster.

Typical laptops, phones and tablets have LED screens that we expose ourselves to daily. Blue light eminates from these devices and can have serious side effects on your sleep and focus.

So, should we be reading content on our screens?

In this 1997 article by Jokon Nielsen, he explains that we are less receptive to information that comes across the screen. Fast-forwarding to the 21st century, we have made so many updates to our tech and have been using different forms of tech every day. With email marketing a new language used to incite consumers to keep buying or at least taking interest in marketers’ companies. “Promotional language imposes a cognitive burden on users who have to spend resources on filtering out the hyperbole to get at the facts” (Neilsen, 1997). Consumers are becoming exhausted by constantly battling marketers and are less willing to read the content on a page.

How are we (the consumers) expected to read content, word for word, and deeply understand what their message is? We’re looking for keywords and bullet points because we’re already so overwhelmed with information.

What’s the solution? There are tablets and e-readers out there, like the Boox tablet and the Kindle paperwhite. But what about “smart” phones? The Light Phone was created because the founders saw something wrong with the way tech was being created to take advantage of consumers. The Light Phone founders wanted tech that could empower us, to find ourselves again.

This is just an example, not a marketing ad (I swear! I just really want one of these phones). By having one of these phones and essentially just unplugging yourself and going against the social norm, you’re making a conscious choice to get your life back. You can start the journay to better your ability to focus on reading, and deeply. Slowly but surely that skill will come back.